Do the Splendid Principles Still Apply ?

When I first start blogging in 2007 - no-one knew what a blog was. I can remember showing someone once who said 'oh that's ridiculous, the page just goes on and on until you hit the bottom'. Now I think about Facebook and Twitter and laugh about how the unusual becomes so commonplace.

Just as there are no telephone boxes anymore, I think there are quite a few things that have changed in the world and in our family life since I first started blogging. In 2007 our sons were 6 and 8 - they are now turning 12 and 15 and are really young men. IN 2007 we didn't have 'smart phones' and didn't have near as much technology in our lives as we do now.

That got me wondering. Do my splendid principles still apply ? I showed 6 years ago that I could apply my grandmother's principles in a modern world, but does that still apply today as I type on an Ipad instead of a typewriter ? Can you still live simply - Iphone in hand ?

Today I pulled out all my old notes and folders that held all my worksheets and scribblings from when we first drafted our budget, when I used to calculate in childcare costs and when fuel was less than $1.00 a litre ( and we were concerned about our fuel usage!)

One of the documents that I found had this handwritten on it:

FOUNDATIONS

1. A working budget

2. A 'stores' cupboard or functional larder ( old terms for a well stocked pantry)

3. A solid routine

4. Cook from scratch skills

5. A working diary/ calendar system.

EXTRAS

A garden
Green cleaning cupboard
Less plastics
Composting
Reduce, recycle, re-use and re-wear
Home Based income
Stop buying crap

Splendid Habits 

Getting ahead
6Ps
Chasing joy
Rising early
Menu planning
Extreme shopping
Homemade presents/ cards
Going additive free
TV free/ commercial free
Exercise/ Yoga.

I was so happy to have found it because it connected me with core values. Now I am considering the role that technology plays in a simple life - does it have a place ? I think it does if we stick to our principles and not let it overtake us.

What do you think ? Can you have a simple joyful life that embraces a modern technological world ?

If you want to join me, I am working through my list to establish these principles in our new home.

Back to my Vision Splendid

Well it certainly has been some time that I have spent away from the blogosphere. I actually contemplated giving up blogging completely, but something has drawn me back and had me thinking.

Why blog ? 

When I first started blogging, I didn't know anyone who was doing it. I can't really remember how I stumbled into the art of blogging, but I am sure it was from accidentally finding some online blogs and being completely inspired by them. 

Blogging was the perfect tool for me. It helped me to organise my thoughts, hold myself accountable, give me inspiration to look back on and connect with some fantastic people. 

Blogging brought me great joy as it made me slow down and have gratitude for the small things in life. 

Why the break ? 

Moving house a little over 12 months ago meant a huge change to our lifestyle. Setting up our 'Vision Splendid' on our acreage has taken time and has meant that lots of our routines have changed. This has been both positive and challenging at the same time.

Throughout this time, blogging took a back seat as I have been focusing heavily on building our future. I took on some part time work, (based here at home) which grew and grew. It seems that the biggest hurdle I encounter is that things get TOO big, when really what I am looking for is balance across all areas of life.

Even blogging got TOO big. A Vision Splendid was always designed to be something that I did for myself and a few of my avid readers. Before I knew it there were product sponsorship requests, radio interviews, Sunday newspaper interviews and LOADS of request for help. I guess it was a case of 'be careful what you pray for, you just might get it'. 

Why return ?

I am encouraged by the ongoing emails that I still receive. I am often surprised that readers are still there. When I recently restricted access to the blog I received a lot of emails asking for viewing rights so people could check back on things that I had written about earlier - as a reference tool. I am surprised that with the HUGE volume of information that is on the Internet now readers still come back to this little site for inspiration.

The Verdict ? 

I will be returning to blogging. Although there are now millions of blogs on all sorts of topics, I will blog for the reasons that I had when I first got started. Whether it brings value to others or not, I will blog for my own reasons. Although our children are now older and we are in a different stage of our lives, we are still working towards our Vision Splendid. We are crafting a life that is family centred and holds old fashioned values at its core.

Even though I work from home, I recently let quite a bit of my work go. This will be give me a chance to bring things back into balance again. My first step is to re-read through the old blog posts ad get back in touch with my original vision.

Want to join me as I assess the steps I need to take to bring back a slower more simple life that has family at the core ? 

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